Paracanoe is

canoeing Canoeing is an activity which involves paddling a canoe with a single-bladed paddle. Common meanings of the term are limited to when the canoeing is the central purpose of the activity. Broader meanings include when it is combined with other acti ...

for athletes with a range of physical disabilities. The

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

version of the sport is governed by the

International Canoe Federation The International Canoe Federation (ICF) is the umbrella organization of all national canoe organizations worldwide. It is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and administers all aspects of canoe sport worldwide. 157 countries are affiliated ...

(ICF), and a

va'a Vaʻa is a word in Samoan, Hawaiian and Tahitian which means 'boat', 'canoe' or 'ship'. A larger traditional seagoing vessel for long-distance voyages is referred to as ''vaʻa tele'' (big ship). The term ''alia'' is also used for larger vessel ...

-specific variant is governed by the International Va'a Federation (IVF). A meeting of the

International Paralympic Committee The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; german: Internationales Paralympisches Komitee) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and fun ...

Guangzhou Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...

, China in 2010 decided to add paracanoe to the Paralympic programme. As a result, paracanoe debuted at the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympics where single

kayak A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft which is typically propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word ''qajaq'' (). The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each se ...

races were contested.

Equipment

The two main types of paracanoe boat are

s (K), with a double-blade paddle, and outrigger canoes called

s (V) where the paddler has a second hull as a support float and uses a single blade paddle with a T-top handle.

ICF paracanoe

Classification

In the single kayak, there are three event classifications (linked to different levels of mobility impairment) for both men and women: *

KL1 KL1, or Kernel Language 1 is an experimental AND-parallel version of KL0 developed for the ICOT Fifth Generation Computer project. KL1 is an implementation of Flat GHC (a subset of the Guarded Horn Clauses language by Kazunori Ueda), making ...

(formerly A; Arms) This grouping is for paddlers who have no trunk function (i.e. shoulder function only). A KL1 class paddler is able to apply force predominantly using the arms and/or shoulders. * KL2 (formerly TA; Trunk and Arms): paddlers who have good use of the trunk and arms, but limited use of their legs. They are unable to apply continuous and controlled force to the footboard or seat to propel the boat. * KL3 (formerly LTA; Legs, Trunk and Arms): this class is for paddlers with a disability who have good use of their legs, trunk and arms for paddling, and who can apply force to the foot board or the seat to propel the boat. There is also a three-tier ICF classification system in place for single va'a events (VL1, VL2, VL3).

Competition format

All international paracanoe competitions are held over 200 metres in single kayak or va'a boats. It is contested at

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

, World Cups and continental championships. As of November 2021, ten of the twelve events (all six kayak events, both VL2 and VL3 events) are also on the Paralympic programme.

ICF World Championships

At the

2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships The 2009 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held 12–16 August 2009 in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, on Lake Banook. The competition was organized by the International Canoe Federation (ICF). The Canadian city was selected to host the ...

Dartmouth Dartmouth may refer to: Places * Dartmouth, Devon, England ** Dartmouth Harbour * Dartmouth, Massachusetts, United States * Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada * Dartmouth, Victoria, Australia Institutions * Dartmouth College, Ivy League university i ...

, four 'paddability' races featured as non-medal exhibition events, including two male-female mixed disciplines in kayak doubles and in doubles canoe ('aka' Canadian or kneeling canoeing). The sport made its official World Championship debut in 2010 and has been contested at every

World Championship A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...

since, including the standalone Paralympic-year ICF Paracanoe World Championships in

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

and

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

IVF paracanoe

In IVF competition, a points system is used with a higher number assigned to less impaired paddlers and lower points for more severe impairment. In team events the total number of points of a boat crew are limited; 26 points in 6-person boats and 52 for 12-person boats. In single-seat boats competition take place in three divisions; division 1 for 5 or 6-point paddlers, division 2 for 4-point paddlers and division 3 is for 2 or 3-point paddlers. 1-point paddlers do not participate in singles races. The three divisions approximately correspond to the three ICF va'a classes.

References

External links

* *{{official website, http://www.paralympic.org/canoe, International Paralympic Committee - Paracanoe Paralympic sports Canoeing disciplines